Yesterday I noted that the Maryland legislature, which has had an excellent record on healthcare reform policy in recent years, had a rare misstep when they took a pass on allowing undocumented immigrants to enroll in the states ACA exchange. While the lack of federal subsidy eligibility would have severely limited the number of undocumented Maryland residents who would be able to utilize this path towards healthcare, it was still a missed opportunity.
Today, however, I can report that the MD legislature has passed several other bills which move things in the right direction. Via Rob Flaks of WMDT:
With just days left in the General Assembly session, Maryland lawmakers have passed a series of bills aimed at expanding healthcare access and combating costs across the state.
Arizona became the latest state to extend postpartum coverage for individuals enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, following CMS’ approval of the state’s postpartum coverage extension state plan amendments (SPAs). The opportunity to extend this coverage was made possible by the American Rescue Plan, and this approval marks 31 states and D.C. that have extended postpartum Medicaid/CHIP coverage to a full year.
I have no idea why the administration hasn't put out a formal standalone press release about this...they've done so for every other state to my knowledge (including Oklahoma just two weeks ago), but whatever; it's still good news!
Feds Approve Innovative NJ FamilyCare Projects Addressing Housing, Behavioral & Physical Health, Providing Care & Other Creative Approaches
1115 Demonstration Approval Continues Long-Standing Medicaid Programs and Allows New Innovations
TRENTON – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved innovative NJ FamilyCare projects designed to address priorities such as housing, integrating behavioral and physical health services, and new and creative approaches to providing care.
CMS signed off on the projects by approving NJ FamilyCare’s Comprehensive 1115 Demonstration renewal. The 1115 demonstration provides the state with federal authority to operate large parts of the NJ FamilyCare program. The approval is in effect from April 1, 2023 through June 30, 2028.
In December 2022, 92,340,585 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.
85,280,085 individuals were enrolled in Medicaid in December 2022, an increase of 425,110
7,060,500 individuals were enrolled in CHIP in December 2022, an increase of 87,296 individuals from November 2022.
Since February 2020, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP has increased by 21,690,345 individuals (30.7%).
Medicaid enrollment has increased by 21,474,995 individuals (33.7%).
CHIP enrollment has increased by 215,350 individuals (3.1%).
The Medicaid enrollment increases are likely driven by COVID-19 and the continuous enrollment condition in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
In December 2022, 2,360,820 applications for Medicaid and CHIP were submitted directly to states.
Agencies share plan to address HUSKY Health eligibility, redeterminations and enrollment actions
HARTFORD, CT (March 27, 2023) — The Department of Social Services (DSS) and Access Health CT (AHCT) today shared a comprehensive 12-month operational and outreach plan to redetermine eligibility for HUSKY Health enrollees and resume routine public program operations. HUSKY Health is Connecticut’s Medicaid program.
Prior to the pandemic, annual redeterminations of eligibility for the Medicaid program occurred on a monthly basis during the year and terminations were processed for individuals no longer eligible for the program. During the pandemic, the termination process was paused. The federal government passed legislation, known as the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, that now requires the monthly redeterminations to begin again as of March 31.
An estimated 200,000 Nevadans may be redetermined ineligible for Medicaid benefits over the next 14 months, but NevadaHealthLink.com has options to keep them insured
(CARSON CITY, Nev.) – Starting April 1, all Nevadans on Medicaid will start to have their accounts redetermined on an annual basis for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, causing many Nevadans to potentially lose their health care coverage. Nevada Health Link is helping to coordinate the transfer of qualifying applications to NevadaHealthLink.com to ensure Nevadans stay covered.
Lost in all the fuss last week over the ACA's 13th anniversary, the corresponding enrollment report, and North Carolina's expansion of Medicaid to an additional 600,000 people was this announcement via the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):
Biden-Harris Administration Announces the Expansion of Medicaid Postpartum Coverage in Oklahoma; 30 States and D.C. Now Offer a Full Year of Coverage After Pregnancy
Connecticut House Bill 6616 was introduced to the state House in February with a total of 13 cosponsors (all Democrats). Since then it's had a public hearing and has been reported favorably out of the legislative commissioners' office and to the House Appropriations Committee.
The bill seems to expand Medicaid and/or CHIP eligibility ("Husky A, B or D") to a significant number of undocumented children in the state, but it's rather densely worded, making it difficult for me to be certain just how far up the age range it applies. However, according to Louise Norris, it would extend it from the current 12-year old limit for undocumented children up to age 20 by January 2024 and age 25 by later that year, as long as their household income is still below the thresholds currently in place for those populations:
Section 17b-261 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2024):
Arizona Senate Bill 1292 was introduced by Democratic state Representative Rosanna Gabaldon in February. Here's the most relevant portionf of the legislative text:
Title 20, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section 20-123, to read:
20-123. Health care insurers; requirements; prohibitions; definitions
A. Notwithstanding any other law, every health care insurer that offers an individual health care plan, short-term limited duration insurance or a small employer group health care plan in this state:
1. Shall:
(a) Ensure that all products sold cover essential health care benefits.
(b) Limit cost sharing for the coverage of essential health care benefits, including deductibles, coinsurance and copayments.
As I noted at the time, Vought's proposed budget would include, among many other horrific things, completely eliminating funding for the ACA's Medicaid expansion program as well as complete elimination of all Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC) funding for ACA exchange-based individual market enrollees.
I went on to note that if this proposal were to somehow pass the Senate and be signed into law by President Biden (neither of which is likely to happen, to put it mildly), nearly 40 million Americans would lose healthcare coverage as a result nationally.
Below, I've broken that number out by state to give better context about just how draconian such an eventuality would be.
